Explosive Eighteen (Stephanie Plum #18)
by
Janet Evanovich (Goodreads Author)
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's The Heist.
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.
Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned in...more
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.
Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned in...more
ebook, 0 pages
Published
November 22nd 2011
by Bantam
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Nov 27, 2011
Elizabeth (Book_Attict)
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
on-my-shelves,
reviewed
Okay, I admit it -- I'm a Stephanie Plum sucker! I read Smokin' 17, and until the last chapter of the book, SWORE that I'd no longer be running out to get the hardcover edition of another Stephanie Plum book as soon as it was released, Instead,I'd be looking for the paperback at one of the used bookstores I frequent...
I love Janet Evanovich's writing style, her dialogue is hilarious, the characters are great, and reading the latest installment is like going home to visit with old friends -- well...more
I love Janet Evanovich's writing style, her dialogue is hilarious, the characters are great, and reading the latest installment is like going home to visit with old friends -- well...more
Jan 15, 2013
Carol
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
hardcore Plum fans only
Shelves:
female-lead,
mystery
Hi. My name is Carol and I'm a bookoholic.
I've been reading ever since I can remember, but Goodreads seems to be contributing to my disease. I can't control myself. I'm always adding books to my "to-read" list, which is so long that if I stopped adding books today, I'd still have three years of books on it. Then there is the library, where a drive-by is part of my routine. It's on the way home from work, so it is really unavoidable. If I only make a quick stop to pick up a monthly read, that isn...more
Jan 19, 2012
Duchess Nicole
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
genre-contemp-romance,
read-in-2012
*************************
EDIT:
Still frustrated. Still love Lula and Grandma Mazur. Problem is, I love both Morelli and Ranger. I used to lean more toward Morelli, but lately he seems sort of apathetic towards any relationship with Stephanie. It's Ranger that tries to help her out and take care of her, and he seems genuinely worried that she'll get hurt. Morelli just complains that she gives him heartburn.
This one was still definitely worth reading, though if your looking for closure, it still a...more
EDIT:
Still frustrated. Still love Lula and Grandma Mazur. Problem is, I love both Morelli and Ranger. I used to lean more toward Morelli, but lately he seems sort of apathetic towards any relationship with Stephanie. It's Ranger that tries to help her out and take care of her, and he seems genuinely worried that she'll get hurt. Morelli just complains that she gives him heartburn.
This one was still definitely worth reading, though if your looking for closure, it still a...more
I liken this series to an original document that you print out all new, and fresh, and perfect. And then the copy get's copied, and that copy gets copied and so on until you end up with a faded, scarred, crooked, ghost of that perfect original. It's old and it's tired and as much as you used to love it, it's time to let it go and start a new, original, document.
When I first discovered this series a few years ago, I absolutely loved it! I'm talking fan girl, crazed, running to the bookstore on m...more
When I first discovered this series a few years ago, I absolutely loved it! I'm talking fan girl, crazed, running to the bookstore on m...more
I like Stephanie Plum, I really do, but this series has failed to make any forward progress for at least ten books now. It's the same story over and over (and over) again. It's getting kind of pathetic that Stephanie can't pick a man. And we know that Lula's fat, and wears tacky clothes, and eats more than most circus animals... We don't need constant reminders. Please, please, please add something fresh to this series to keep the reader interested!
*Heavy Sigh* Just okay...this needs to be over soon, it's gone on way too long. Pick Joe already Stephanie, although after all you've put him through I don't know why he still wants you. A few laughs, but a lot of the same old same old, and unless Janet Evanovich comes up with a new plot line, this series will be dying a slow, painful death. I will see it through to the end, mostly to see what happens to Joe than any other character, and hopefully I won't be bored to tears in the process.
If you like my review, go like it on Amazon would you ? Maybe JE's publishers will see it...
So, here I am again. I swore I wouldn't read another Evanovich Plum Novel--after my last review of 17, I swore tooth and nail to my husband, my mom, and my blog readers that I wouldn't read it! So...I went to the library. I really just had to know if it was as bad as the previous one. After being teased that she might make a decision in 18, I let my small curiosity overshadow my intellect.
Remember back i...more
So, here I am again. I swore I wouldn't read another Evanovich Plum Novel--after my last review of 17, I swore tooth and nail to my husband, my mom, and my blog readers that I wouldn't read it! So...I went to the library. I really just had to know if it was as bad as the previous one. After being teased that she might make a decision in 18, I let my small curiosity overshadow my intellect.
Remember back i...more
You know what, I was actually real hopeful that there would be some development in this book. For the whole series Stephanie and Lula have bungled along.
For a moment I thought there would be some sort of character development. Especially over the whole Hawaii ordeal. I was flipping pages like mad to find out what happened. It was kind of a let down.
We do have some introspection by Stephanie, but she said she's not the introspection type. She remarked abut how she knows it's not good of her to be...more
For a moment I thought there would be some sort of character development. Especially over the whole Hawaii ordeal. I was flipping pages like mad to find out what happened. It was kind of a let down.
We do have some introspection by Stephanie, but she said she's not the introspection type. She remarked abut how she knows it's not good of her to be...more
Spoilers!
I really thought we'd have some romantic resolution in this book. But it's the same old formula she stumbles through things, gets herself into trouble, and doesn't decide anything about the men and leaves you hanging with thinking "maybe in the next book". Please Ms. Evanovich have some character development/ growth! I'll give the series one more book to improve then I am done with it. I'd also love to see Stephanie get better at her job - going to the firing range, taking a self defens...more
I really thought we'd have some romantic resolution in this book. But it's the same old formula she stumbles through things, gets herself into trouble, and doesn't decide anything about the men and leaves you hanging with thinking "maybe in the next book". Please Ms. Evanovich have some character development/ growth! I'll give the series one more book to improve then I am done with it. I'd also love to see Stephanie get better at her job - going to the firing range, taking a self defens...more
Apr 13, 2012
Lisa Kay
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012-in-2012-group-challenge,
genre-suspense-a-smidgen-of,
genre-romance-contemporary,
genre-romance-suspense,
genre-humor,
amazing-secondary-characters,
m-library-sj-audio-oda,
setting-usa-new-jersey,
genre-chick-lit-ish,
well-narrated,
reviewed-by-me,
animal-hamester-in-story,
authors-j,
authors-e,
zzcover-red-orange

★★★½✩ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Lorelei King does her usual wonderful job giving us Stephanie Plum’s first person POV. I have to be careful or I’m going to associate her voice as only Stephanie’s and she won’t work for me when narrating any other book. Of course, she does a superb Lulu, a funny Grandma Mazur, a sexy Ranger (though most of his dialogue is "Babe" in this one) and a yummy Morelli.
I heard an interview a while ago where Ms. Evanovich said she purposely has no growth plann...more
Here's the thing. I love Janet. I love the Stephanie world, I really do.
However - after 18 books a lot of things are starting to get very old.
Let's start with:
Lula's eating habits: It's getting really annoying, book after book, listening to her bitch and moan about what she eats, what she doesn't eat etc. etc. Either stick the girl on a complete diet or shut up about her eating habits. I really don't care that she's about to get sick after eating 10 cream filled donuts. She's a pig and it's ge...more
However - after 18 books a lot of things are starting to get very old.
Let's start with:
Lula's eating habits: It's getting really annoying, book after book, listening to her bitch and moan about what she eats, what she doesn't eat etc. etc. Either stick the girl on a complete diet or shut up about her eating habits. I really don't care that she's about to get sick after eating 10 cream filled donuts. She's a pig and it's ge...more
Stephanie Plum is back with "capers" (read the book - you'll get it) aplenty - each of them more hilarious and scandalous than the next, in Janet Evanovich's latest, "Explosive Eighteen." I give it four stars just because it made me laugh out loud and shout "oh no" and "ewwwww" several times. Evanovich, though not known for her literary merits, is certainly a master entertainer! All of my friends are back - Lula (who was in rare form for #18), Morelli and Ranger (they took a backseat here, as St...more
thrilled that we dont have to wait until next summer for another book - hopefully she'll choose between Morelli and Ranger...getting tired of that.
Update: Liked the book lots. Was thrown off but pleased with how she started this one so differently without the readers knowing what happened in Hawaii.
Update: Liked the book lots. Was thrown off but pleased with how she started this one so differently without the readers knowing what happened in Hawaii.
Another fun ear-read in the car. Somehow, Janet Evanovich has managed to keep the series vibrant and pretty funny. I have decided that half the fun of it for me is listening to Lorelei King (aka "the voice of Stephanie Plum) do all the characters. I found a video of her, and was pretty astonished to see that there were objections to her voicing of Lula and Connie, both of which I love. It's hard to believe that one woman can do all those parts. The series has grown on me, mostly through audio bo...more
As you can tell from my rating, I found this book to be terribly disappointing.
I love Ranger, and I hate how Evanovich turned him into nothing more than a booty call for Steph, who is still too immature to deal with her feelings. Even more immature than she was in 17, or earlier books.
I think Steph was stronger and smarter in OFTM than she has been portrayed in the last 5 books. Twelve Sharp was the end of the series, as far as I am concerned. It was the last time any of the characters came clos...more
I love Ranger, and I hate how Evanovich turned him into nothing more than a booty call for Steph, who is still too immature to deal with her feelings. Even more immature than she was in 17, or earlier books.
I think Steph was stronger and smarter in OFTM than she has been portrayed in the last 5 books. Twelve Sharp was the end of the series, as far as I am concerned. It was the last time any of the characters came clos...more
I was sitting on the porch in my rocking chair, whistling to myself as I read a steamy scene between Steph and Morelli moaning and praying to whoever was listening to drop a Morelli in my arms as well. I flipped to the cover to admire the intricate swirls of the title Juicy eighty five.
And then it hit me.
My hands were wrinkled and the reason for my moans wasn’t the raunchy scene but my old knees. I was dreaming. About reading. This book. Even when. I was ninety years...more
Well, that was incredibly disappointing.
I get that when reading this kind of series it is going to be repetitive. It's a comfort thing - formula is good because you know what you're going to get.
Yet after 22 books (18 novels, 4 novellas), you expect /some/ character development. But it was just the same old thing.
Like many others, I want Stephanie to just choose a guy already or just accept that she is a two guy girl. The latter is unlikely because of the underlying prudishness of her charact...more
I get that when reading this kind of series it is going to be repetitive. It's a comfort thing - formula is good because you know what you're going to get.
Yet after 22 books (18 novels, 4 novellas), you expect /some/ character development. But it was just the same old thing.
Like many others, I want Stephanie to just choose a guy already or just accept that she is a two guy girl. The latter is unlikely because of the underlying prudishness of her charact...more
Let me begin by saying, I love Stephanie Plum. Love her. I love Morelli, Ranger, Lula, Grandma Mazur, Connie, Vinnie, the Burg, and everything and everyone connected to Stephanie's weird, weird world. No, I don't consider these books to be "great literature," and yes, I do think they are formulaic in the extreme. But the formula still works for me, because...and this is a BIG because...it makes me laugh out loud. Every time. I'm always happy to buy the next book in the series, and Explosive Eigh...more
This book frustrated me to no end. We were halfway thru before we found out what happened in Hawaii and then it was so anti-climatic that I didn't really care. I normally like the back and forth with Morelli and Ranger, but I am getting tired of it. I am all for Ranger but even I can't see things going that way. Although there are some hints that may tie the two closer together in a way I never really saw Stephanie.
As for the rest of the book, Stephanie is still a hot mess. Her antics with her...more
As for the rest of the book, Stephanie is still a hot mess. Her antics with her...more
I really couldn't get into this one. At first, I really thought the author realized that the same old formula and indecision between the characters was becoming absurd and tiring, but obviously not.
The plot was slow and half way through the book I didn't care. It took me less than six hours to read this book due to the enormous margins. There was less humor in this book than in her previous novels- more than a bit disappointing. Thank goodness the library buys these books do I don't have to!
The plot was slow and half way through the book I didn't care. It took me less than six hours to read this book due to the enormous margins. There was less humor in this book than in her previous novels- more than a bit disappointing. Thank goodness the library buys these books do I don't have to!
I really think this series needs to reach an end. The books are full of the same stuff different title. I think she needs to pick a guy and wrap it up. This book was better than the 15, 16 and 17, but it really hasn't been the same since 12. An author really needs to know when the money train is over and the fans deserve a resolution. I keep holding out for it to get back to the magic at the beginning of the series. In addition to all this, the ebook prices for these books are unreasonable.
Ok....more
Ok....more
I'm stuck between a 3 and a 4 star rating.
On one hand, all my old complaints still stand firm. She has got to start putting more time into this series. They all just seem so rushed and like she's not TRYING anymore.
But! I have to say that I have been waiting for (view spoiler). That makes me want to bump it up. Plus I laughed a bit more in this one then in the last two... oh and man, those are two hot men. I swooned a bit.
All in all, I'...more
On one hand, all my old complaints still stand firm. She has got to start putting more time into this series. They all just seem so rushed and like she's not TRYING anymore.
But! I have to say that I have been waiting for (view spoiler). That makes me want to bump it up. Plus I laughed a bit more in this one then in the last two... oh and man, those are two hot men. I swooned a bit.
All in all, I'...more
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.
Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, and she’s flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could
Jun 10, 2013
Anderson County Library
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
what-patrons-are-reading
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home. Before Stephanie can even step off plane from Hawaii to home, she's in trouble. Her vacation turned into a nightmare, and she's flying back to New Jersey. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he's dead. And a ragtag collection of thugs and psychos, not to mention the FBI, are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be...more
A guy's perspective is in need here :)
I totally agree with the majority of reviews. I've been saying the same thing since around the 8th book. The situations are funny,the banter and humor are usually on point but,damn Janet!
I forget which book it was that Ranger took Stephanie to the gun range and she proved to be a decent shot. I thought,yes! Finally we get some forward development. Then back into the jar the gun goes. The same mishaps over and over. I'm really tired of seeing the complete a...more
I totally agree with the majority of reviews. I've been saying the same thing since around the 8th book. The situations are funny,the banter and humor are usually on point but,damn Janet!
I forget which book it was that Ranger took Stephanie to the gun range and she proved to be a decent shot. I thought,yes! Finally we get some forward development. Then back into the jar the gun goes. The same mishaps over and over. I'm really tired of seeing the complete a...more
Stephanie Plum is back and this time she is hiding a few secrets up her sleeves , the one though that everyone is dying to know is - "What happened in Hawaii"? . From dead guys , fake FBI agents, real FBI agents and random hitmans , not to mention a ring tanline - everyone is wondering what went on ? After the bail bonds was blown up , we saw the team relocate into the Mooner's bus but it seems that they are having trouble staying in one place as this bus goes kaboom as well. We read as Lula and...more
My roommate recommended this series to me and I've been hooked for the last month or so, reading the books one after the other. This book was really disappointing as I was (patiently) expecting a turn around to the overall downward trajectory to the series. Readers need atleast SOME satisfaction/closure/forward movement to keep them interested and here we are at book 18 waiting for a big beautiful plate of Thanksgiving dinner... To be served a big fat plate of nothing! I've also begun to realize...more
While on a trip to NYC, I read Janet Evanovich's Explosive Eighteen in two sittings. These books read like eye candy. I managed to spend three hours to get through the first two hundred pages. It made for a good distraction as it was too cold to do much sight seeing after work.
The book reads like most of Stephanie's other capers. She starts the book single and mad at both Morelli and Ranger. In this book there is a small mystery about 'what happened in Hawaii'. The mystery carries through about...more
The book reads like most of Stephanie's other capers. She starts the book single and mad at both Morelli and Ranger. In this book there is a small mystery about 'what happened in Hawaii'. The mystery carries through about...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is Janet Evanovich'e Explosive Eighteen going to be any better? | 22 | 213 | Jun 15, 2013 08:20pm | |
| M/M in Janet Evanovich's Explosive Eighteen? Possible spoiler. | 10 | 194 | Aug 22, 2012 07:16am | |
| I "heart&quo...: Explosive Eighteen | 4 | 25 | Feb 17, 2012 09:51am |
Janet Evanovich is the #1 bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum novels, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and graphic novels, Wicked Appetite (the first book in the Lizzy and Diesel series,) and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author.
Also published books under the name Steffie Hall.
More about Janet Evanovich...
Also published books under the name Steffie Hall.
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“[Stephanie Plum]Jeez. No True Love"
[Grandma Mazur] There's always been true love, but in my day, you either talked yourself into thinking you had it, or you talked yourself into thinking you didn't need it.”
—
16 people liked it
[Grandma Mazur] There's always been true love, but in my day, you either talked yourself into thinking you had it, or you talked yourself into thinking you didn't need it.”
“It wasn't exactly that Lula was fat. It was more that she was too short for her weight." - Stephanie Plum”
—
13 people liked it
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Apr 16, 2013 08:43am
May 25, 2013 01:39pm